WTN: Five From The Weekend...(short/boring)

Tried these over the weekend:
1, RobertBialeVnyd Sangiovese Nonna'sVnyd/NapaVlly (225 cs; 14.4%) 1995: Dark color w/ slight bricking; some earthy/dusty/mushroomy spicy/spicy sausage/cherry/black cherry/Sangio light pencilly/Fr.oak complex nose; tart/bit austere spicy sausage/black cherry/Sangio very lush/smooth somewhat pencilly/oak very attractive flavor; long bit tannic/tart/austere spicy sausage/cherry/Sangio slight earthy/mushroomy pencilly/Fr.oak some complex finish; still in very good condition w/ a bit of tannic/acid bite but starting to dry out a bit; drink up.
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2. Chante-Perdrix AC: Condrieu Authentic (14%) PhilippeVerzier 2007: Pale yellow color; very light peach/pear slight stoney nose; attractive Condrieu/minerally very light pear/Viog slight stoney flavor; short light mineral/pear finish; a nice low-key Condrieu minerality but little Viog intensity; a rather vapid rendition of Condrieu; overpriced at $55.00
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3. Ridge Calif Zin Essence (PasoRobles/DusiRanch; 13.9%; 6'th Ridge Essence; Drk: 7/99-7/02: PD; SaH: 39%; RS: 9.2%) 1991: Dark color w/ no bricking; intense blackberry/boysenberry/Zin very ripe slight raisened intense framboise bit complex nose; huge intense boysenberry/blackberry/framboise fairly sweet huge fruit flavor w/ slight raisening; very long/lingering huge boysenberry/blackberry/framboise somewhat sweet finish w/ ?? tannins; will go another 10 yrs easy. $9.50/hlf
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4. Failla HirschVnyd/SonomaCoast PinotNoir (14.1%) 2003: Med.color w/ slight bricking; lovely smokey/pencilly/toasty rather Burgundian/mushroomy bit black cherry somewhat complex nose; tart bit lean/tannic very smokey/pungent/Burgundian/pencilly bit black cherry/mushroomy flavor; very long bit hard/tannic very smokey/pencilly/Burgundian some black cherry/earthy/mushroomy finish; moving right along and probably best to drink up; loads of complex Burgundian character.
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5. PineRidge NapaVlly CheninBlanc LateHrvst (YountMillVnyd; SaH: 34Brix; RS: 8.2Brix; 12.4%) 1992: Med.dark orangey/brown color; pretty corked/musty some botrytis/peachy/caramel/creme brulee nose; rather sweet strong botrytis/peachy/caramel/orangey passito-like somewhat musty/corked/TCA flavor; some good things underneath but way to corked to appreciate; too bad.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Biale: This Sangio was one of the best Calif renditions of Sangio that I've had. In its youth, it spoke more of Biale Zin than anything. But, with age, the Sangio character has really come thru. Alas...we've been told by wine critics that Sangio (and Nebb) is a failure in Calif.....sigh.
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2. RidgeEssence: This was, as I recall, the last Essence Ridge made from BeniDusi's grapes. Leaving those grapes out on the vines to sur-maturite was so against Beni's idea of good farming practices that he told PaulDraper that he couldn't bear to do it again. My gawd...Beni's neighbors might drive by his vnyd, see those grapes still hanging..I think that Beni had lost it. Or, worse, that he couldn't find someone to buy his grapes.
This Essence still had huge fruit and seemed just as fresh as it was on release. My experience, as they age, is that more & more of that raisened character starts to come out as the fruit starts to subside. But there was little evidence of that in this btl.
Tom

Tom..does Biale still make a sangio? don't think I have ever seen one from this house..have enjoyed sangios from Unti and Seghesio

Tom..does Biale still make a sangio? don't think I have ever seen one from this house..have enjoyed sangios from Unti and Seghesio

NotSure, Jon. I certainly haven't seen one around in a few yrs.
Tom

Tom,

As you know I love Ridge Zin Essence. I'm sad I can't get any here. Thanks for the notes. It brings back memories of my visit to Ridge many years ago.

Tom
That essence does sound an interesting and challenging wine - does it bear any similarity to Recioto della Valpolicella? Maybe we'll see a few other producers trying the style out - particularly if worried about the potential risk of fully fermented wines being too 'hot'. Maybe, some mad maverick might try a sparkling zin in the style of Aussie Sparkling shiraz...?

I have always though I ought to try a few more viogniers, though to date I've been so utterly disappointed, that I'm not exactly making a bee-line to try more. Condrieu is certainly expensive, yet still poorer examples persist. Maybe this is a grape that a newer winemaking nation could take to it's soul and do a NZ Sauv Blanc or Arg. Malbec? The opportunity seems there, yet maybe, just maybe, the grape just isn't capable of delivering great QPR?

regards

Ian